During the second half Q&A session, Antero VP Kevin Kilstrom was confronted by several people about the short notice. He claimed they don’t have a contact person, or a list of people to contact. At the outset he clarified that the meeting was indeed the annual Rifle, Silt, New Castle, Peach Valley community meeting and not a continuation of the RSPN talks, which he made clear ended because of the Strudley lawsuit. I detected a hint of bitterness.

Anyway, Antero could have contacted the respective town officials, which they did not. Besides that, at every Antero meeting I have ever attended there was always a sign-up sheet to receive email announcements from Antero. I always signed up. So it’s a load of crap that they don’t have an email list, or that the email list they have only pertains to the RSPN talks. They have plenty of lists. But they did not have a sign-up sheet at this meeting. Guess that says it all. They don’t care. They don’t have to.

Whatever. I think the point was made by the large turnout on such short notice. We do care.

I don’t know why Kilstrom was evasive and pretended they don’t have any way to contact the public. It damages their credibility. Okay so he clarified that they hold these annual meetings because of the 2006 Rifle, Silt, New Castle Community Development Plan (CDP – not to be confused with the other CDP – Comprehensive Drilling Plan because of one of these things is not like the other). They do it as a favor to us I guess.

Maybe they should just come right out and say so. I think we should be more honest with each other. I mean, if I didn’t know any better I’d think they’re pissed at us over the Strudley lawsuit and how we all met with lawyers behind their backs last year. But here’s the deal. In the 2006 RSN-CDP we did not agree to no lawsuits and they did not agree not to frack up our air and water. It’s a pretty uneven playing field in the gas patch. Trust is a two-way street.

Because the market is bear-ish and the price of gas is at a 10-year low, we will get a reprieve from any major expansion locally. Other than the existing four wells on Silt Mesa, no new drilling activity is planned north of Highway 6, including Slaughter Gulch and Peach Valley. South of the Colorado River the plan is for 50 wells to be fracked. “If there are any changes to that plan, we will call a meeting,” Kilstrom said, implying that the South Gravel Trend application will be on hold until further notice.

All of which leads back to the whole credibility issue. I remember the Antero Community Meeting back in 2010, when Kilstrom announced Antero had “no plans to drill on Silt Mesa”. By the end of the year there were four new wells on Silt Mesa. We should believe they will call a meeting to notify us of any changes in their plans why again?

So for the near future – 2012 – presidential election year – as long as demand for natural gas stays low and the price is rock bottom, we can all breath a sigh of relief – literally. Chalk one up for global warming.

Kilstrom downplayed crude oil production saying they currently get anywhere from hardly any crude oil up to 20 barrels per million cubic feet of gas. “It depends on the well,” he said.

Kevin Kilstrom added that he expects in the next five years we will see all green fracking chemicals.

GarCo’s new oil & gas liaison Kirby Wynn was also on hand to meet and greet and answer questions. He announced the next two EAB (Energy Advisory Board) meetings on March 1 and April 5, will include discussions about the new fracking disclosure rules and hydraulic fracturing methods. It is important to note – and as Kilstrom himself pointed out – these are “rules” not “laws”.

Lots of leaseholders had questions about federal units versus individual tracts and producing wells versus non-producing wells, so the meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m. Antero reps remained to answer more specific questions.

I don’t know. I walked away feeling like they’re just not that into us anymore. Maybe next year we should hold a potluck supper for them. If they would only let us know when they’re coming ahead of time …

2 Comments on “Antero reps played to a packed house”

No new drilling north of Hwy 6 UNLESS…… The Cactus Valley Federal Unit doesn’t produce a paying well.

Antero admitted they federalized because Federal Laws trump State Law and there are No Spacing Orders in a federal Unit – meaning – all the land to the west of Harvey Gap Road all the way to Peterson Lane can be drilled at 10 acre density (neat, huh?). They are required to drill every 90 days until they get a producing well. They have 2 well site permits in this area – Jewell Lane and Diemoz Pad B.